RETURN MY LOVE
Disclaimer: Do not own Inuyasha….There, are ya happy?
CHAPTER 7: TRIGGER
Ever since that confrontation with Sesshoumaru, Rin was left floundering as to how the demon lord knew of the birthmark on her body. No one knew, not even Inuyasha, the half-demon with whom she pledged to spend the rest of her life.
She had never even remembered being kissed until after she met Inuyasha. Yet now, this lord had painted images in her brain of events, perhaps deviant, that happened between the two of them with his incredible and intimate suggestions.
She could not face him for every time she saw silvery hair heading her way, she became a blabbering, blushing idiot. Thus, she had painstakingly and studiously avoided the master of the Western lands at every possible turn. With his inhuman speed and highly developed senses, she knew he could have made it impossible for her to stall him indefinitely. But whatever that was driving the demon lord, she could only be grateful for his unwonted generosity to spare her feelings just a while longer. Whenever he neared, she would bow formally before turning tail and retreating from his presence, forever grateful that he had spared her the ignominy of facing him even as she felt his growing exasperation. Rin had never been a good liar and she knew she would eventually have to acknowledge the birthmark… but just not yet….she knew it was ill-mannered of her to do so but she was not ready…
Such a coward.
Rin could not fathom how she could have been linked to this most ruthless of demons. Yet, he felt so familiar despite being a total stranger to her. He felt right like a breeze caressing through her hair, like the freshly scented air after a rain shower, like basking in the warmth of the sun.
Rin had initially attributed that familiarity to his shared bloodline with Inuyasha but now she was not so certain. There was a strange intimacy about his presence and the air around them prickled with a tension so subtle that even Inuyasha had not been able to detect but she did. It was more like a frisson of awareness, a deep recognition that had her shuddering delicately as she thought back to that night in the forest when those golden eyes had intently bore down on her despite the icy disdain the lord had displayed.
888888888888888
As for Sesshomaru, he knew from her betraying scents and erratic heartbeats that she was greatly disturbed at how a stranger knew about her mark so intimately.
Feh! He would have known her any where even if he had been blindfolded and immersed in total darkness.
He could feel turmoil radiating off her in waves although the girl tried hard to hide it from him. Or at least in the far and few in between times that he actually had seen her. Sesshoumaru realized that she was avoiding him and for this brief respite, he was willing to allow it.
It did not mean that he liked it.
Far from it. But he knew far too well what happened to prey when they were pressed without an escape route. He could afford to give her that breathing space.
Having her safe within his senses was as natural as breathing to him. By avoiding him, she was depriving him of those things he considered essential to his well-being. He was not a creature of patience despite an unshakeable exterior. Problems he encountered were simply resolved; obstacles quickly removed. He did not believe in letting issues languish indefinitely. Her forestalling from this truth would not change the inevitable. She had yet to realize that she belonged to no one else but him.
Sesshoumaru could not help but smirked to himself as his thought turned to the hanyou. Apparently, not even Inuyasha was aware of Rin's birthmark.
Good. That fact alone virtually saved Inuyasha, had he but known it, from suffering the most agonizing torture Sesshoumaru could ever have inflicted upon his prey.
Sesshoumaru's jaw tightened imperceptibly at this disconcerting thought of Rin being touched by another male, much less that stupid relation of his. The lord's feelings for her were so fierce that the very idea of her being intimate with someone else dragged a red tide of rage across his vision blinding him in its intensity.
Obviously, Rin and Inuyasha had not advanced to that stage of heavy petting yet. Sesshomaru could still scent her purity and he was immensely relieved. He wanted that right to be her first and only lover. He wanted to teach her the physical pleasure of his love. No doubt that he would claim her in the finality of it all. There was really no other alternative, viable or otherwise, to this relationship. After all, he had had two long years to acknowledge her importance and endure the physical alienation of her from his life. Those long days and the even longer nights didn't bear thinking when his restlessness desired her closeness. He would gladly have traded his immortality just for word of her whereabouts while regretting the waste of those two years caused by his damnable pride. Yet now, fates had handed him a second chance and he vowed he would guard it with his hand.
So he was content for now to let her dodge him but that didn't mean that he was not always aware of her presence inside or outside of his home. Being human, she was not to know of his ever nearby presence. Like a hawk, Sesshoumaru kept a watchful eye over his precious prey.
Damn it; he had turned into a veritable stalker ….because he was …. afraid.
Afraid of her leaving him again.
He would not put it past her to try and leave for safer grounds, namely to Inuyasha. He could feel her desire to escape his presence but that could not be tolerated until she had come to her senses and remembered him again. His only saving grace during this waiting was that he did not sense her fear of him as someone who she thought would physically harm her. Rin seemed more agitated by what he could reveal about her…about them…
888888888888888
Rin's mental and physical strength flourished under the watchfulness of the taciturn lord. His servants saw to her every need even before she had spoken and that fact did not escape her attention. As her headaches became less frequent, she became more set in eluding those golden irises. Although she was successful in avoiding him, she felt in her bones that he was covertly watching her every move. A part of her was curious as to how this predator would strike once it grew tired of watching. Or perhaps maybe he was just going to leave things alone. So far, he had been willing to leave her to her own devices, but was that because he was dropping the subject or was he biding his time? Despite it all, Rin felt a tug of irrepressible excitement as she waited for his next move. It unnerved her but it was not stemmed from fear. The lord's demeanor and mannerisms evoked something profound inside of her. But just when she thought she would grasp the meaning in her mind, the memory flitted away to leave her sighing in frustration. To what great lengths did a mind protect itself?
Strangely, knowing that she was being so closely observed by this creature didn't intimidate her. Rather, she recalled a corresponding sensation of being nurtured, being cared for, being indulged. But her caretaker's face remained determinedly blank.
Even if she did allow herself to contemplate the farfetched possibility of the demon lord as her previous protector, she wondered if that was how her mind had subconsciously latched onto Inuyasha so quickly when he first appeared on the scene.
Was this why she became so attracted to Inuyasha so immediately?
The white hair, the sharp claws and the golden eyes were all similar attributes possessed by the half demon, but on Lord Sesshoumaru, they elicited an even deadlier, more beautiful emphasis.
She could only suppose that whatever history she and the lord had with each other, it must not have been too pleasant, otherwise, why did she leave him and fend for herself?
Somehow, Rin instinctively knew of the great emotional risks to pursue that train of thought. Inuyasha seemed a much safer option she liked…no …loved… him. She knew exactly where she stood with the hanyou. No unexpected twists that could break her heart into a thousand fragments.
Was this all that she could expect to find if she pursue this link Sesshoumaru had offered as a price in regaining her memory?
Rather than raking over any possible dead ashes, Rin wanted to rejoin Inuyasha. After all, she had never acknowledged to Lord Sesshoumaru that he was correct in the placement of her birthmark. In ignoring his questions, maybe he would eventually realize that she was not the girl he sought.
Oh, the sin of omission.
Yes, that will be her game plan. She would continue to have minimal contact with the master of this land. And since she had regained most of her physical strength, she would announce her intentions to rejoin his half-brother. Surely, he would be severely glad of the proffered excuse to rid his home of unwanted human stench.
But facing down the inimitable lord was easier said than done, Rin sought to prepare mentally. Her feet wandered quite a distance from the courtyard and she didn't notice that she was now in a remote corner of the castle. Looking around, she found gorgeous flowers bedecking the ground. The untamed wildness of these flowers called to her, delighting her senses and temporarily lifting her somber mood. The girl spread her arms and twirled her body basking in the golden sunlight as she inhaled the fragrant air.
How she had missed this freedom, the feel of a soft breeze gliding and teasing her hair. She slowed to a complete stop, raised her face in homage to the sun as she soaked in the peaceful yet wild beauty of her surrounding for the first time in many days.
888888888888888
Beautiful.
She looked perfectly at home on his grounds with her hair tousled by the wind and her slender body caressed by the sun. Of course, she belonged here.
His dominion was just waiting for its mistress to return and enliven this place again.
Hawkish, golden eyes gazed admiringly at the still figure up some distance away from him. Concern for her had led the lord in quiet pursuit when he scented her further away from where he was.
Sesshoumaru deliberately scrunched some dried leaves and twigs under his black-booted feet just to provide the girl ample warning of his approach. He saw her eyes widened open at the sound of footsteps and saw her inaudibly sighed as her gaze fell upon him.
"Rin." He inclined his head in her direction and paused in his steps.
"My lord." She greeted him formally, sinking into a deep curtsy; thick lashes lowered shielding her thoughts from the penetrating gaze. Yet, she was startlingly conscious of the beautiful creature before her. Regally clothed as always, but it was not his clothes that mesmerized her. She was drawn to the hidden tensile strength that spoke of power beneath the silken layers and the lean, angular features that spoke of pride. The lord's civilized, icy front only made Rin more aware of the untamed, primeval force that was so carefully leashed.
It was the first time in days that they were in contact with each other and Sesshoumaru could feel Rin's apprehension rising to the front.
"My servants have prepared a meal for you." He walked gracefully to her and held out his palm. "To regain your strength." He eyed her form critically, the smooth forehead slightly marred in a frown. He was displeased at the thinness of the girl. Rin had always been a slender girl but the recent affliction apparently had left her room for a weight gain.
"M..mmyy lord, please express my gratitude to your servants. I do not want to trouble them." Rin stammered her thanks as she reached out to take the small basket from his grasp, enticed by the delicious aroma wafting from it.
She was surprised that the command must have come from the great lord himself for she could not see his servants initiating anything on her behalf. He ruled his lands with an iron claw, that much Rin had no doubt.
Nevertheless, she opened up the basket and the brown eyes lit up at the delicacies contained inside. The meal was thoughtfully prepared and was loaded with sumptuous fares, more of her "favorites".
Sesshomaru hid his amusement behind the cool, grave eyes as he watched every emotion flitted across the pale features. This was his Rin, that he had no doubt. He went forward and spread a light blanket on the ground and proceeded to situate himself on it.
The action threw Rin for a loop since she was distracted away from surveying the food. Surely he did not mean to want to share the meal with her or worst, spend time with her while she was eating?
Sesshomaru raised a sardonic eyebrow willing her to voice the offer, albeit reluctantly.
"Ummmhh," she began flushing to the roots of her dark hair feeling foolish and ungracious to have been reminded of her manners. The least she could do was to ask him. "Please, join me if you like." Rin rushed quickly through the words before she could change her mind and retract the invitation while proceeding to lay out the spread and pouring tea.
"Human fare is not my usual." His voice mocked her gently while nodding his permission to allow her to begin her meal.
Rin daintily popped a morsel of food into her mouth and closed her eyes savoring the exquisite burst of flavors that exploded on her tongue.
"Of what are you thinking?" His voice unexpectedly asked her, gently as if he was afraid of destroying their tenuous peace. The handsome face riveted on her face though the eyes were totally inscrutable.
Rin's eyes drifted open and she gave him a clear-eyed look. "That heaven is found in this delicious meal."
Sesshomaru, caught by surprise, chuckled aloud.
This girl of his lived so deeply, so lovingly. The few years slotted to her were much more meaningful than the hundreds of years that some demons were granted.
"Your simple enjoyment of life is boundless." He watched, fascinated as her blush deepened. Sensing the heat rising up in her body, Sesshoumaru quickly suppressed a wicked thought of the entertainment value and his immense pleasure to test his theory of her all-over body blush.
"Where do you call home?" Sesshomaru casually leaned back against the trunk of a nearby tree and stared into the distance to give the girl some time to recompose herself, oblivious to her puzzled expression that he wanted to make small talk with her. He could feel her relaxing her guarded posture with him since the lord had failed to bring up again that excruciatingly personal topic of several days ago.
His casual question brought evident relief and the girl's delicate features showed it.
Rin was actually glad to hear his question. She considered it carefully, not that she thought he had an ulterior motive in asking but that she truly did not know how to answer.
"I am not sure, my lord." She admitted deciding honesty had always been the best policy to follow as her eyes moved away from him to peer sightlessly at the horizon. "I just remember that I've been wandering around for the longest time before I fell into a trap laid by some demons. I met Inuyasha that day. He saved my life." Her voice dropped to a mere whisper, thinking about that near-death encounter.
Sesshoumaru sensed the alarm in her voice and his shoulder stiffened, angry that Rin once again had to feel fear. "You have no idea of your roots, your family?" The anger thickened his voice and it made Rin swivel her eyes back to the regal figure leaning against the tree curious about the inflection in his tone. Although the lord's posture was deceptively relaxed, Rin felt a keen watchfulness about him, a tension that was barely concealed as though he could not help himself.
"I had visited a local village and their faith healer informed me that my memory loss was due to a blow near my temple." A gamin grin spread across her face while she patted her head gently. Her expression earnest as she forgot momentarily his question on her identity. "As time goes, familiar sights and scenes should trigger my memory paths to re-knit the way. That is why I am on my journey. There is bound to be some landmarks or even people who may be able to help me piece things together."
"And have you found…someone or something to help you remember?" Sesshomaru turned his face away again yet this time, the wariness in his voice was evident as he waited for her answer. There was a stillness to the air surrounding the lord as though he was holding his breath.
He heard her sigh silently and saw the shoulders drooped dejectedly although she avoided looking at him as she, too, turned her face in the opposite direction.
"No, but I do have flashes of memories, although they are still vague." She looked around her, determined to be positive. "I love the vivid colors of flowers and their scents." Her voice paused as though the next words came unbidden. "The gardens here are really beautiful. The colors were exactly like how I would envision them."
Sesshoumaru exhaled silently, aware of a tingling ache in the region of his chest as he allowed her to steer their conversation to safer grounds. Of course, Sesshoumaru did not inform her that the colors and hues were planned by her had she but known it. However, he wisely steered clear of pursuing that thought aloud. This was not the time to press her into that memory when it was apparent that she wanted nothing to do with him. It was ironic as he realized the missing memory seemed to revolve around her time spent with him.
Sesshoumaru's gentle interrogation was starting to somewhat help him piece together her time away from him. Thus he did not deny her attempt to drift to their talk to more general topics. Apparently, this allowed her to relax her guard and spoke more freely of her past, whatever parts that she recalled. At the end of the meal, Rin somehow got the feeling that she had just been thoroughly and skillfully vetted for information about herself. She did not realize how long they had taken since the sun had moved behind some clouds. His servants could be heard bustling about lighting up candle sconces that lined the outside garden area and the inside of the castle. This was one of the few times they actually had a lengthy discussion of any sorts. Usually, duty would keep the demon lord locked away and Rin was happy to be eating with the servants in the warmth of the kitchen. They were actually very cordial and pleasant to the human girl. Little did she know that they knew her and had hoped that she would come to recognize them but not a glimmer showed in her eyes other than guarded friendliness. Moreover, they have been warned by the master not to interfere with Rin's recovery. He had his own scheme to follow.
Rin was also starting to feel tired, after all, she spent the bulk of the time trying to recollect her missing blanks. Another quick smile flashed across the delicate features and she apologized as she quickly smothered a small yawn behind the long sleeves of her kimono.
That smile of hers always twisted his insides around like jelly. He had never learned to immunize himself against that unquenchable joy lighting up her small face. It was lit from deep within the girl and nothing could douse that spirit.
Before he found himself grinning back at her like a lovesick fool, Sesshoumaru schooled his features into blandness. "Return to the castle. It is time for you to rest now." He motioned to the ground. "I will be right here."
"But oh, Lord Sesshoumaru," she protested, "it is such a wonderful day and I would love to enjoy the sun for just a while longer." Her lovely face earnest in its plea. "I will be safe. We are, after all, in the grounds of the castle." She threw a quick grin at him hoping that selling point would clinch the argument for her. She wanted to bask in the outdoor and breathe in the wonderful scent of flowers before having to return indoors.
"Then I will still be here."
"Ob, but-" the girl gave a slight start as though she did not mean to offer a personal invitation to the demon lord to hang around with her.
"Rest, girl." His calm voice brooked no refusal. He knew the castle grounds were perfectly safe for her to be alone, secluded though they may be, there was no way he would have left her alone. He had to make up for lost time. His command was softly spoken but the steel was threaded in the brief words. As for the girl, she was happy that he relented enough to give her a few more moments outside. It was a small sacrifice for her even though it meant an extension of that time was to spend in his company. Rin dismissed her minor disquiet when she saw the way the sharp chin lifted to the sky as if to challenge her to protest his presence.
Rin was so glad she was able to convince him to let her have a little bit of freedom that she did not care and had brushed aside the small thought that he was attached as part of the bargain. He seemed almost a stranger again, reverting his stance back to a detached, clinical lord. Smiling happily to herself, she made quick work of the meal's remainder as she deftly cleared the items away back inside the hamper and quietly submitted to his issued command.
Rin settled shyly down on the mat with her back to the lord (she couldn't face him while trying to enjoy the silence feeling she would feel a little too vulnerable with her eyes closed while his eyes were free to roam) using one of her arms as a pillow. It never occurred to her to doze off while Lord Sesshoumaru was at her back but she did. She felt safe somehow….even….dare she think it..safer in his presence, knowing instinctively that he would keep her from harm. It was not long before the light whispering of the breeze and the sounds of nature lulled her to sleep.
Sesshomaru listened as her breathing settled and evened out before he pushed himself away from where he was seated, stood up, and stepped noiselessly to where the girl curled up in a fetal position. He knelt down on his knees and observed her features, noting the youthful curve of the cheeks, the soft lips that trembled slightly as she murmured lightly in her slumber, and the shallow dip of silky skin of her collarbone slightly exposed by the "V" of her neckline. Gods, he missed her so much. Despite his intentions, his hand involuntarily reached out and stroked her hair, so careful to not awaken the sleeping girl.
Hot silk. Ebony hair that felt like silken sand flowed through his claws.
Forever would not be long enough for him to rise every morning with her like this in his sight.
Peace seeped through him as he stretched out beside the girl and allowed sleep to take hold of him.
888888888888888
Rin woke up to the faint breeze getting cooler as the sun slowly disappeared behind the clouds. She turned her body and was surprised to see the dog demon stretched out on his side next to her. His one arm flung out brushing near the edge of her kimono sleeve, claws curled as though, before he fell asleep, they might have closed upon the folds of the fabric to keep hold on her.
She gazed at him curiously.
The lord's stern face, so formidable when awake, was smoothed out in sleep. The dark-fringed lashes, the straight patrician nose, the beautiful silky hair all suggested a sensitivity not evident when he was alert and active, or making scathing remarks or withdrawn into one of his somber silent moods. His hair was spread out and strewn on the grass like a silver halo. A beautiful angel with a razor-sharp wit and a harsh personality of a demon.
She leaned closer, intrigued by the facial markings now that she was so close in his personal space. Two magenta stripes on each cheek were exquisitely well blended. Rin had glimpsed similar markings on his wrist and wondered innocently if there were markings in other areas of his body that was well concealed beneath the mountain of silk and armory. A blue crescent moon arcing elegantly in the middle of his forehead only enhanced the exotic quality of this creature. She felt heat rising on her throat and raised a slightly trembling hand to her cheeks to fan off the sensual path of her thoughts. Soft smudges of color were lightly painted across two closed lids giving him the appearance of a beautiful angel with snow white hair that would make any girl jealous. They felt so soft, Rin thought as she quietly looped several silken strands through her fingers, unable to help herself from touching this magnificent creature before her.
Pretty….somehow that one word in her mind conjured hazy images of her stroking long platinum strands, of her caressing soft, angular cheeks, and of her being kissed so relentlessly. So many images in her brain seeming to barrel all at once, beating down the doors of her mind ferociously. Shades and sounds echoed in the back of her mind, and they all seemed to singularly point to this creature resting beside her.
What circumstances did she come to him and what circumstances did she leave him?
Rin was puzzled. She could almost believe that she had shared a part of her life with this Taiyoukai but was frustrated by the missing links that apparently joined but then severed them. She continued to play with his hair almost absentmindedly, her thoughts focused on the past.
Sesshoumaru awoke then, alerted first by the emotions emanating from the girl as if feeling her intense stare combined with his senses tingling from her delicate touch and a small prickle of remembered sensuality flooded his being. The golden eyes sharpened as his faculties returned as though by instant command but then visibly softened as they settled on her. She was trying so hard to remember. His gaze lingered on the slight frown marring a smooth forehead, and tiny white teeth nibbled nervously at the full lips as she concentrated on resurrecting the missing pieces of her life.
Rin was startled at his sudden awakening and withdrew her hand, flushing scarlet at being caught in the act of toying with his pristine hair. Expecting his icy wrath to come down on her head and deservedly so, she untwined the locks from nerveless fingers. "I'm s…ssorry, Lord Sesshoumaru." Her hand jerked hastily away to fall back to her side.
"Do not be shy," Sesshoumaru deftly caught the slender hand and transferred it to his cheek, his warm palm encouraging and fueling her curiosity. He was actually glad she felt safe with him to initiate touching him. Other than his parents, Sesshoumaru had never had hands laid on him in such a tender and caring manner as if he truly mattered, as if he were necessary and he alone could bring happiness to someone's existence. With such responsibility also came great joy and he reveled in it. Inwardly purring, he felt a small frisson of electricity sizzled along his nerve endings of his frame.
Tentatively and as though unable to help herself, the girl experimentally trailed soft finger pads over the magenta stripes and as she reached one earlobe, she traced the in and out of the lobe, delighted in the strange, elongated shape under her untried hand.
Rin felt such compulsion to touch him. It was familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time. It was like she had traced this same path in times past. Those golden eyes fixed steadfastly on her face but they occasionally fluttered closed as though to savor her touch all the while a strange fire flickered at the back of those orbs. Rin felt like she had fallen into a sensual fog with the demon lord so acquiescent, so complacent underneath her fingers.
Sesshomaru's throaty groans rumbled softly in his chest signaling his pleasure, his ears were one of his most erogenous areas and she was making him feel this needy, this hungry for her touch.
He raised a warm palm to her cheek, carefully sheathing his claws and caressed the silky texture. It glided sensuously down the long column of milky white throat, gently pushing aside the neckline of her kimono so he could get to the warm skin underneath.
Sesshomaru leaned in closer, his body shielding her from the dwindling sun's rays and platinum hair swirling around them as if to cloak them in their own private world, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He heard her sigh gently and the dark lashes shadowed soft cheeks as his lips nicked along her jaw line before returning back to lap at the seams of her lips. He teased their plumpness with his tongue, pressing moist nips and felt small tremors shaking the slight frame beneath him. His hand, continuing on its path, found heaven. Delicately cupping one small breast, he felt her stiffened shyly as though to jerk away from his touch. Sesshoumaru deepened his kiss as he soothed her nervousness and continued to gently massage the silky mound in a rhythmic manner. Taut muscles slowly relaxed signaling her acquiescence as she leant in closer, automatically arching her back into his questing hand. Her body again tautened in awareness as a warm thumb and forefinger rubbed the sensitive bud as the girl gasped out loud at the foreign sensation the lord was creating in her.
Sesshoumaru swallowed her moan completely as he plunged his tongue inside her mouth, heated desire flicked along his nerves, igniting his pleasure even more.
Sweet. She tasted like the sweetest honey. A taste that he had never forgotten. His tongue explored every crevice and corner inside the warm, wet cavern of her mouth. Shyly, Rin's own tongue tentatively reached out to caress his and Sesshomaru became greedier. Hungrily, he thrust deep in her mouth desiring to feel the essence of Rin. It had been too long for him as he continued to ravage her mouth. His lips broke away from her mouth to allow her breath as they traveled down soft throat, licking and nuzzling at the pulse beating so frantically in her heightened state. Sesshomaru's breath caught as he felt her reaction to him, to his touch. He was gratified but strangely humbled at the same time. Humbled that she would even allow him the liberty to touch her so. Proud that he was able to evoke such pleasurable sensations in her. He was the one to make her feel like this. He and he alone. The warm lips traveled further down the valley of her breast, gliding to her right breast. The demon lord pressed hot kisses on the milky globe before taking the rosy nipple into his mouth and tugging with his teeth. The erotic sound of him suckling and teasing the peak until it stiffened under the onslaught of his tongue made her shiver with some unknown joy and she was mindless in her quest to please him more. His hand palmed the other breast, squeezing and delighting in its fullness. Her body felt like it was made especially and only for him. She fitted perfectly in his palm and in his mouth. He felt her fingers feverishly sought and sunk deep into the white tresses above her breast as she pressed herself even closer to his heated body.
"Rin, say my name." He muttered deep in his throat, his voice roughened by desire with a slight touch of pleading had Rin paid enough attention. The muscle in his throat clenching spasmodically as he strove to control his craving.
"S..Ssesshom…" Even as she started to comply with his command, his words penetrated her desire-induced fog, the thickened voice sounding strange in her ears and Rin felt like a thousand buckets of cold water were dumped on her senses, instantly galvanizing her to flare out defensively. Something snapped in the back of her mind and Rin pushed at his broad shoulders above her. "No!" An image of her and a vague white-haired creature flashed in her mind, scenes of them enjoying each other's touches were too familiar and she couldn't believe at the possibility that she and this lord had shared and were sharing an intimate moment. What must Inuyasha think?
Inuyasha! Her mind screeched to a halt and she pushed at the broad shoulders more agitatedly. "Please, Sesshoumaru, leave me be." Slender arms beat against the firm chest. In her distress, she even forgot the honorific but the lord was almost too far gone to notice. For the briefest of moment, Sesshomaru thought vaguely of ignoring her plea knowing that he could make her change her mind quite easily. But he grimly refused to go down that route. He respected her opinions, her wishes even at the expense of his own.
His muscles clenched and exhaling harshly, Sesshomaru willed his body under control. The sharp claws slowly dropped their hold on her body. Painfully and reluctantly, he eased his body off hers and until then, Rin didn't realize she was totally exposed from the waist up. Pressed so tightly against his muscular frame, she didn't feel the cool air until they parted and she shivered as the cool breeze chilled her naked flesh. About to cross her arms to cover up her nudity, Sesshomaru gruffly brushed her arms aside. His eyes were lit with a feral gleam deep from within and they looked with pleasure at her bare breasts, and unable to stop himself, he cupped one quivering breast in his hand and saluting its loveliness with a kiss as he drew close the lapels of her kimono. All the while, Rin watched, quick tears inexplicably gathered at the corner of her eyes at this unwonted gentleness despite his raging desire.
He eyed her intently, the redness slowly receding from his vision as he sat up.
Rin noticed his own haori opened to the waist when he sat up from his reclining pose. She must have been just as eager to feel his own skin. Rin thought, mortified at her daring.
"Rin," his voice reached her ears making her involuntarily shift her gaze back to the dog demon. He looked just as disheveled and she blushed knowing it was her hands, her fingers that had tousled his hair and caressed the taut curves of his musculature, urging him on. A hard flush stroked along his lean cheeks and she could still feel the heat from his body.
"You are mine." His voice, assured and deep, calmly intoned as though to establish that fact once and for all to those who'd care to listen. Long, tapered fingers confidently brushed aside her own shaking fingers to cinch the purple obi back around the small waist.
Sesshoumaru sighed. Dressing her was as erotic and sensual as undressing her. Finished with his task, he began to gently rake fingers through the thick stands of ebony hair feeling the waves cascading silkily around his wrist.
"I cannot be." Rin stiffened, rejection pronounced in every line of her slender body. "I belong to Inuyasha". Her voice tremulous as she raised wounded eyes to his face. Sesshomaru's face was once again a controlled mask, the slight tint of pink on his cheeks declared his arousal only moments ago still lingered but this time, the flare of his anger rose quickly.
"Inuyasha be damned." He answered through gritted teeth. "That baka knows nothing. He is not fit to touch even the hem of your kimono. Why do you think you cling to Inuyasha in the first place? Does he not remind you of this Sesshomaru?" Bronze eyes sparked with the strength of his anger. "You cannot be with him. My name will be the name that you will call out. My touch will be the one you'll crave when you're with him." The fine eyebrows frowned in determination.
Damn her misplaced loyalty. He should have known that she would be stubborn. Rin would not be Rin without it.
"Were there any pathways that were rewired in your mind?" The question shot straight at her, his eyes narrowed sternly as they probed her own. "No triggering reminders?" His tone firm as he pursued this thought, anticipating that there were some small re-connections that Rin had experienced.
Rin shook her head automatically. Guiltily, she pushed aside the thought that her first kiss shared with Inuyasha brought a sense of "coming home" to her heart. Could this be the reason for her instant attraction to the hanyou? Far from being repulsed by the demon lord's touch and caresses, she had found herself clinging to him like a burr until sanity returned and he was no less possessive of her. That couldn't have been the reason she was drawn to Inuyasha. Were her sensual wirings created by this enigmatic lord? She still has no recollection but her senses and her heart told her that Sesshomaru spoke the truth even though her mind was unwilling to admit the truth.
Argghhh.. Rin was frustrated, her hands fisting at her side. "Lord Sesshomaru, I…" she stood up quickly and he followed suit.
"It's a little late for you to continue to address me in this manner." He interrupted brusquely, impatience written in every sinewy muscle.
Rin blushed but defiantly ignored him. "I will not betray Inuyasha." The girl faced him valiantly, ear to shoulder but she did not let his height intimidate her.
"Your body cannot help itself, Rin. It recognizes me and none other. You cannot brush aside your feelings like some forgotten …. rag. I forbid it!"
"Forbid?" Rin was indignant. "Pardon me, lord Sesshomaru, but you CAN'T forbid me to do anything I do not want." She bristled at the highhandedness of his command, an annoyed flush stealing into her cheeks. "I am going back to my chambers," she glared at him, challenge written in every line of her slim figure. "Do you forbid me to do this?"
Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked quickly back to the familiar grounds, jumping over boulders and rocks as she anxiously wanted to leave his disturbing presence. He wreaked such havoc with her senses.
"Rin. Be careful."
The words carried by the wind flew to her ears but she ignored them as she all but ran to the safety of her chambers. Damn him for almost allowing her to forget her principles. She couldn't figure him out. Surely he did not mean what he just said. It put paid to the things Inuyasha said about his brother's human-hating tendencies.
Head down and eyes focused, she made her way back to the main garden in the castle ground quite quickly as if the very devil was pursuing her very soul all the while ignoring the guilty thought of the familiar headiness his touch had invoked.
888888888888888
(A/N: So their first little make-out session. Hehe... I just had hand surgery and typing with one hand is heck. Anyway, I am still struggling with this story. It started out so deceptively simple. Guess I was wrong…Whhaa... thus the very long, very inexcusable delay. This writer can surely use directional concrits and recommendations if you care to share… grins a "Rin" grin).