Shippo, Rin, and Ayame knew that things wouldn't be pretty if Kagome revealed that she had seen Ayame kissing 'Sesshomaru', but that didn't stop them from smiling at her reaction.

-33-33-

Something moved in the water and Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as a giant serpent broke the calmness of the water and in a hissing voice said "I see that I have not one, but two unlucky demons for my supper tonight. Hold still so I can devour you!"

With that the unwieldy looking demon struck with a speed that he didn't appear to possess, Kagome's bow was up with an arrow knocked and ready to loose. The arrow slowed down the demons attack just enough that she could draw her sword, she needed to practice so that it came as naturally as drawing her bow. Sesshomaru held Bakusaiga in his hand as he watched and waited, to see how she fared on her own. He would only aid if it appeared she was overmatched, she needed to learn how to defend herself.

He watched with cool calculation as she slashed and dodged the quick strikes, he was pleased by her performance and…. wait a second something else moved toward her under the turbulent ripples of water. He watched as not one but three other serpents came to the surface, looking to Kagome he saw she was far too caught up to notice the new addition to their attackers.

He leaped into action beheading one of the serpents that had yet to notice him, the other two turned on him with hisses of outrage and came for him. He managed to slice the eye of one of them and was dismayed to find that the other had managed to get a coil around him.

"Die you filthy beast" he said as he brought his sword down cutting the coil in half then quickly beheading the serpent with a growl. Pain flared in his leg as he turned his attention to the last of the new arrivals, the serpent hissed in pleasure and said "Cut off our heads and we still can bite, your done for now!"

Sesshomaru lunged and quickly beheaded the last one before looking to see if Kagome was holding up. Seeing that she was still locked in combat with the first and largest of the serpents, but holding her own he looked to his leg and the serpent head that was still latched onto him.

Poison formed on his claws and he disintegrated the head quickly, the poison from the bite was burning up his leg and he was feeling a little ill from it. Dizziness washed over him and he sat down hard, reaching down he ripped open his hakamas where the blood soaked through. His skin was a sickly green where to poison was starting to work it's way up, his vision was beginning to waver. Summoning his poison he let it drip into the wound, his own poison would override the effects of the serpents, but it might take a little time to do so.

Kagome was ecstatic when the serpent she had been battling finally collapsed dead and sank into the depths of the water. Turning with a smile that quickly dissipated as she saw Sesshomaru lying still on the ground, she rushed over to him and noted the slowly fading green coloration to his exposed leg. How could he have been so careless to let one of them bite him?

Sitting down next to him she leaned over to listen to his heartbeat, it was weak but as she sat there it began to grow steadier. Standing back up she grabbed him by his upper arms and began to pull him towards a tree, she grunted in effort, he was far heavier than he looked.

When she had him against the tree she sighed in relief, the pond hadn't seemed that far from the tree, but it sure felt like it had been a mile away. Kagome sat down and leaned back against the tree, it had been a long day and she was exhausted after her fight and moving Sesshomaru.

I'll only close my eyes for a moment she thought as sleep claimed her.

Sesshomaru came to and found he wasn't next to the pond any longer and darkness had fallen. Glancing around he saw the Kagome must've dragged him to the tree since there were gouges in the soil all the way to his location. A soft sound caught his attention and he glanced at the sleeping form of the female that had apparently worn herself out, she had done well by his training and the wolf's from what he could tell.

He noticed a shiver course through her and smiled to himself, silly onna had gone to sleep soaking wet and next to a battleground at that. He would have to teach her the error of her ways soon, but for now he just made himself comfortable and pulled her close wrapping his pelt around her for added warmth.

He let his eyes slide closed, as he erected a barrier to keep out unwanted guests and let sleep claim him once more.

-33-33-

Kagome woke with a start, there was a hand not her own touching the skin of her belly and someone else's breathing in her immediate vicinity. It was dark out, but she could make out stripes on the hand pressed to her belly and relaxed. It was only Sesshomaru's hand…. Wait a minute? What was Sesshomaru's hand doing on her belly? Something shifted behind her and she realized that his hand wasn't the only thing touching her.

Her mind went into overdrive trying to recall what had happened for her to end up with Sesshomaru curled against her back. The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes for a moment to rest after dragging him to a tree.

Quietly she tried to extract herself from his grasp and was getting flustered to find that she only pulled her tighter against him. A sword hilt was prodding into her lower back and she wondered how he could sleep armed, wait did it just twitch? That's definitely not a sword hilt! She tried to scramble away fully embarrassed by the revelation that Sesshomaru's private parts were happy to be pressed against her backside. Just what the hell was he dreaming about anyways?

She swallowed a squeak as he rolled pulling her with him and wrapping both arms around her. Now what? she screamed inside her head as she tried to work her way free. A growl caused her to stop her struggles, was he seriously still asleep? In all her squirming she had managed to turn over so that her back was no longer pressed into him, but it was far worse having her crotch against his. What in the hell was she supposed to do now?

A hand slid down her back to grasp her right butt cheek and she stiffened, why was this happening to her? What had she done to deserve this? And if that wasn't bad enough she could feel her body respond to his obvious arousal pressed snuggly against her own intimate parts.

A tongue ran up her neck and she had decided enough was enough, Kagome bit down hard on his ear. All her struggling hadn't woke him yet, so she was going to draw blood.

Startled molten gold met her irritated blue eyes when she released his ear "What. Are. You. Doing?"

"Trying to escape the death grip you've had on me since I woke up, if you haven't noticed I'm on top of you and I would like to remedy that." She blushed as he eyed her with interest.

"How did you get on top of me?" He raised and eyebrow in curiosity.

"Not by choice, now release me so I can get up!" She froze in horrified silence as he twitched against her, and then she began to thrash about trying to escape his hold on her.

"I assure you that THAT will not help you get free." His smirk made her nervous as he continued obviously enjoying her discomfort. "It only makes me more excited, you see? Well maybe not see, but you can certainly feel it, no?"

Kagome was getting even redder as she realized that he was telling the truth, sighing in defeat she stilled and waited for him to release her.

"Keep this in mind the next time you fall asleep without putting on dry clothes, I can not control what happens when I'm in a deep slumber." He had an evil glint in his eye as he rolled them both and straddled her waist "And might I add you smell positively edible, my dear." His smirk had spread into an evil grin as he said that.

Leaning down he ran his tongue up her neck and said "Very edible indeed."

Kagome was speechless to say the least, she had never seen Sesshomaru behave in such a manner, maybe it was because of the scent of arousal that hung in the air. He was being downright playful in a devilish manner, and it made her body cry out when he stood and walked away with a chuckle. He had never laughed in all the time she had known him, and his comment had been along the lines of Miroku's thought process.

He hadn't spent that much time in the monk's company while they were battling Naraku, but maybe it had been enough time for Miroku's tendencies to rub off on him? Either way she didn't know if she liked this new side of Sesshomaru, especially when she wasn't sure if she even wanted him.

Sesshomaru wasn't sure what had gotten into him, he honestly hadn't intended on the teasing going quite so far and he especially couldn't believe what he had said to her. The fact that he had woken very aroused to the scent of her arousal and her on top of him intimately pressed against him, had nearly undone him.

Boy how the mighty have fallen he thought snidely to himself, all over a silly little woman that had fallen unwanted into his life. Well that was just a little harsh, she hadn't been entirely unwanted or he wouldn't have taken her in and tended to her that day when he found her. It seemed like years since he had found her curled in a ball and mentally broken, he supposed it was only a matter of time before he could no longer resist her succulent scent.

He could still recall the flavor of her blood with clarity, a flavor that was rich and warm against his tongue. Her skin was tasty too, especially with the scent of her desire hanging in the air, Damn! he really needed to stop these wayward thoughts of his.

He saw her in his minds eye, bathing and checking constantly to ensure he hadn't been watching her. So luscious and….. He shut down his thoughts immediately, bringing his body back under control. He wished Kouga would hurry up and take her out of his hands…he looked at the hand that had been cupping her ass when he woke.

Groaning he dropped his head into his hands and willed the thoughts away, cursing the woman that had caused such chaos to his orderly life.

"Sesshomaru?"

"What?" He ground out in frustration.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" just leave me in peace so I can collect my traitorous thoughts….

Kagome's hand settled onto his shoulder as she said "Are you sure that you're okay? That was a nasty bite…"

"It's not the bite that troubles me now."

"Oh…. Well maybe we should go back to the others?" Kagome's blush was returning full force and she was glad that it was still dark out.

"There's no point, you might as well lie back down and get some more sleep."

"Like I could go back to sleep!" she growled out

"Why ever not?"

"It's none of your business." she hissed back.

"Afraid I might molest you in your sleep Kagome?"

"N …. n …. no, that's not it at all!"

"Then what is it?" he prodded with a secretive grin at her discomfiture.

"I'm not tired anymore!"

He turned grabbing her hand and snatching her close "I don't believe you." he whispered in her ear as she squirmed. "I think you're afraid of me, of what happened, of what might happen if you go back to sleep while we're all alone. Look at me, look me in the eyes and tell me it isn't true and I will smell your lie."

Looking into his liquid gaze she said "I'm not afraid of you Sesshomaru."

"I am aware of that, but that was not the answer to the question I asked now was it?"

Kagome sighed in defeat as she said "I'm afraid of what you do to me and what you might do to me, I don't want to be physically close like this."

"That's not what your body says." he breathed into her ear quietly "it smells of desire, even now I can smell it…. Taste it upon your flesh." his tongue caressed the shell of her ear and she jerked.

"Stop it Sesshomaru! My body may want the attentions, but I do not want your advances."

"That's a lie" he purred into her ear "I can smell the deceit when you spoke it."

Time passed before he continued "Are you afraid to want me Ka-Go_Me?"

Her knees collapsed, it was too much, all of it was too much for her. She didn't want to want him, she felt dirty for wanting him. He was just a cruel beast behind his tender and seductive façade, a cruel beast waiting for her to drop her guards and fall for him. Waiting to rip her heart out the way Inuyasha had done the night he had raped her, she had loved the hanyou as a friend, a companion, and even as a brother. She knew he would never be more than those things, so she had never loved him as a possible lover or future mate.

Sesshomaru had been so caring, but so had Inuyasha and look at where it had gotten her.

Sesshomaru guessed where her train of thoughts were going and said "Do not fear me little one….. I would never betray one in my care. My brother was a fool when he threw you away."

He wondered why he was so interested in whether she wanted him or not, but it wasn't like he was going to mate with her. Maybe he could satisfy his desire and hers, then they could both move past it and move on. He could teach her there was nothing to fear from him, he wouldn't ruthlessly use her and leave her like the hanyou had done.

For some reason her trust in his abilities to care for her mattered to him, and her fighting the natural desires of her body made him want it more and more. The wolf was beginning to lose his claim on her by not being here to fill his place, kami he was wound up tight, but knew she wouldn't give in for some time to come.

Well he didn't intend to claim her as his mate, not anytime soon if at all, but he'd be damned if that wolf was going to lay another hand on her.

"Sesshomaru…"

"Yes?"

"Why does it matter if I want you?"

"I don't know, I really don't know the answer to that…. But when I do… I'll tell you, how's that sound to you?"

A/N: I really struggled with this chapter, it was challenging to stop my fingers from running rampant, I apologize for all the teasing. But I had to keep it from going any further than that as tempting as it was for me to keep plowing right on. *grins*

If asked where all this comes from, I'm going to tell you the truth….

I don't have the first clue! So please forgive me, I have no answers for the workings of my fingers as they have a mind all of their own and I just follow along and wonder where they came up with that. Hope you enjoyed Sesshomaru's lecherous ways…. The question is was he really asleep? Or was he pretending to sleep while she struggled to escape?

We'll never know my dears, it is up to your imaginations from here. Until the next chapter J